Anniversary of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act

On June 24, 1966, the United States Senate passed the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, creating the first mandatory federal safety standards for automobiles. Because this bill was essential to improving vehicle safety across the United States, we want to celebrate its anniversary with some information about this life-saving legislation!

When the bill was passed in the Senate, President Johnson said, “For the first time in our history, we can mount a truly comprehensive attack on the rising toll of death and destruction on the nation’s highways that last year alone claimed 50,000 lives…We can no longer tolerate such anarchy on wheels.”

Shortly after that, the House quickly passed the bill and it was signed into law by President Johnson on September 9, 1966.

This law led to the creation of what we now know as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an organization that is essential in assigning each vehicle in the industry a specific safety rating. It also led to industry-wide safety standards that included regulations on seat belts, windshield wipers, padded visors and dashboards, impact-absorbing steering columns, dual braking systems, outside mirrors, recessed control knobs, and standardized bumper heights. Along with providing new safety standards for vehicles, the bill also improved our nation’s roads with edge and center lines, reflectors, and guard rails.

In the past 49 years, vehicle safety standard have continued to improve with many active safety features, such as lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and blind spot information systems, available now on the Ford lineup. To see the latest safety features on Ford models, stop by Sun State Ford today!